Confidence holds the key to any striker's success and another stilted performance against Arsenal confirmed Carl Cort is still bereft of any belief in his own ability.

Confidence holds the key to any striker's success and another stilted performance against Arsenal confirmed Carl Cort is still bereft of any belief in his own ability.

Before his return to the first-team fold the former Wimbledon hitman averaged a goal every two games for the Magpies.

But this season he is struggling to manage a shot on target as he feels his way back to full fitness.

The fancy flicks and positive runs are still in evidence but the end product is missing.

And with goals suddenly at a premium for Bobby Robson's men it is on his finishing - or lack of it - that Cort will be judged.

Newcastle's England Under-21 international should not be compared to the absent Craig Bellamy, but for every chance spurned the Welshman is missed even more.

Attempting to fill such pacy shoes does not make Cort's job any easier - the 23-year-old is no slouch but most players appear slow when compared to the Cardiff flyer.

Yet the fact remains that Bellamy could be sidelined for some time yet and Robson has little option but to persevere with a player who cost £7 million and can, on his day, change the game.

Shola Ameobi's knee injury in midweek further restricted the United manager's attacking options and Lomana Lua Lua is still lacking the guile and experience to make a real impact in the big games.

Protecting one of United's prize assets is not an option and Newcastle's boss is right when he insists that resting Alan Shearer's fellow striker will help no-one . . .

Not least a player desperate for match practice.

Cort must ride the storm and ride it he did against a typically uncompromising Gunners defence.

One wild first-half cross-shot prompted wolf-whistles from the sniggering Highbury faithful while Richard Wright denied the Londoner a first goal of the season with a fine fingertip save after the break.

Perhaps a fully fit and self-confident striker would have found the back of the net but Cort is neither just yet.